FINAL SCORE

Goals from Frankie Artus and Sam Pearson sealed a second successive win for City at the expense of playoff chasing Maidstone United.

Maidstone struggled to make inroads but were aggrieved when Alex Hartridge’s foul on Iffy Allen was adjudged outside the box when Stones pleaded for a penalty.

Dan Martin was thrown into the starting XI having signed on loan from Cardiff on the eve of the game, and his first involvement was getting a toe in before Justin Amaluzor when the Maidstone man nearly concluded a flowing move.

City grew in confidence and grabbed a deserved opener on 16 minutes. Dan Ball spread to Pearson on the right, who in turn picked out Adam Mann. The forward laid it off to Artus who, 20-yards out, saw his shot deflect off Andre Boucaud and fly over Jake Cole for his first away goal since August 2017.

Hartridge nearly inadvertently gifted a leveller when he looped over Ryan Clarke under pressure from Ibby Akanbi, with defender and goalkeeper relieved to see it narrowly miss the target. Amaluzor’s raking drive flew agonisingly wide via a slight deflection.

Stones were similarly determined after the interval with Akanbi’s shot on the turn well gathered by the alert Clarke.

Amaluzor’s snapshot hit the base of Clarke’s post as they asked a few questions of the Bath back-line and, with seven minutes left, thought they had a penalty when substitute Allen was tripped by Hartridge erringly close to the penalty area, with a free-kick awarded amid several protestations.

City’s defensive display was summed up as Artus threw himself in the way of the set-piece and snuffed out a shot on goal, soon after Ball’s never-say-die tackle on Allen was worth a few scratches from the 3G surface.

At the other end, the Romans should have wrapped it up when an intricate move saw Mann’s stinging effort parried by Cole to Tom Smith, but the leading scorer couldn’t readjust his body to get a telling shot away, with the grounded Cole grateful to gather.

In additional time, the win was wrapped up. Mann picked up a loose ball in midfield and found a willing runner in Martin. The debutant fed inside to Pearson who went alone and calmly struck past Cole via a deflection from Ryan Johnson.

It made the closing minutes comfortable for Gill’s men who now look play-off certainties.

Maidstone United: Cole; Marshall, Elokobi, Johnson; Hoyte, Temelici (Allen 73), Boucaud, Khan, Chesmain; Akanbi (Knight 72), Amaluzor.

Subs not used: Gilbert, Olutade, Ribbins.

Bath City: Clarke; Bowry, Ball, Hartridge; Raynes, Artus, Chilvers, Martin; Smith, Mann, Pearson (Simpson 90+5).

Subs not used: Riley-lowe, Brunt, Wiles-richards.

Referee: Callum Walchester

Attendance: 1,450

City Star man: Dan Martin